Polish military deny damaging ancient Babylon

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L16577234.htm

WARSAW, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Poland's Defence Ministry on Sunday denied charges that Polish troops in Iraq had damaged the site of ancient Babylon, one of the world's most famous archaeological treasures, while using it as a military base.

"Neither Polish troops, nor any other troops under Polish command, ever carried out any projects violating historical monuments or causing their devastation," Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Piotr Pertek said.

"Our soldiers never engaged in any efforts to strengthen the security of Camp Babylon without consulting Iraq's monument preservation authorities."

The statement followed a British Museum report alleging that U.S. and Polish troops had caused "substantial damage" to the ancient city during their combined 21-month occupation of the site.

U.S. military commanders set up a base in Babylon in April 2003, shortly after toppling Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and handed it over to a 2,500-strong Polish military contingent five months later.

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[leftchick]

1. I believe them The destruction I saw was by the US Military

The Graffiti written on the ruins was in English.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. This is reminiscent of interrogation by a high school principal.

"The boys bathroom has been trashed. You did it."
"I didn't do it."
"Yes you did."
"No I didn't."
"Well we have proof that it was damaged. All the toilets don't work and the tiles have been peeled off the wall."
"I didn't do it."
"Were you in the boys bathroom at 1:00 p.m.? We have a hall pass to prove you were."
"Yes, I was there at 1 p.m. But I didn't do it."
"How'd the damage happen?"
"I don't know. But I know I didn't do it."
"Who do you think did the damage?"
"I don't know. But I didn't do it."
"You were in the boys bathroom at the time the damage occurred, you didn't do it, and you don't know who else could have done it, right?"
"Right. I didn't do it."

While in deductive logic you can't prove a negative (i.e., you didn't do something), you can assert a new contradictory proof to exculpate yourself (like you were somewhere else, have an otherwise unknown fact, etc.)

The Polish Army can't win this argument with automatic gainsay (i.e. by sheer contradiction of a charge). It has to offer information to show what probably happened.

[raifield]

3. We forgot Poland...

...but did Poland forget Babylon?

[NNN0LHI]

4. Poland wants everyone to forget Babylon when the war crimes trials begin

I can hear them now. No honest, we didn't trash one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. It was the Americans.

Don